My Typical Breakfast - by Patti

I find it's easier for me to stick to a basic eating plan for breakfast and lunch. I don't want to have to think about it too much so I have a few go to meals that I turn to.

This is what I usually eat for breakfast.

If I'm in a big hurry to get out of the house or I'm eating breakfast late I have:
Almond milk and fruit smoothie
Blend until smooth-
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 cup fruit (frozen cherries are my favorite but I also like banana and pineapple)
This is 1 WW plus point.
This meal in a glass gives me a good dose of calcium (450 mg) and one fruit. If I don't have this for breakfast I usually have one in the afternoon.

If I'm in a hurry or don't feel like cooking I have:
Cereal and Fruit
1 Shredded Wheat biscuit (the big biscuits, no sugar added)
Banana (the only fruit I like on cereal)
1/4 cup of milk (I don't care for too much milk on my cereal)
This meal gives me a dose of fiber (one biscuit 3 grams), one fruit and a little bit of calcium.
This is about 3 WW plus points

Most mornings I make the time to have:
Egg, Veggies and Toast
1 cup veggies such as broccoli, spinach or zucchini
a little bit of onion and peppers
1 tsp olive oil
1 egg
1 TBS grated cheese
1 slice Ezekiel bread toasted with 1 tsp butter
Saute the veggies in oil until tender, add the beaten egg and stir till cooked through, top with a little cheese.
Including the toast this is about 6 WW plus points

This breakfast gives me a good protein, healthy oil,
whole sprouted grain and one serving of veggies. It also
keeps me satisfied until lunch time. 

What do you like to eat for breakfast. Care to share?

Today is the day the Lord has made!

Enjoy it!

Patti

What I Ate Yesterday - September 11, 2013 by Patti

Our first habit was to keep a food journal and I have this firmly established. I write down every BLT (bite, lick and taste:-)

One thing I've been doing for the past couple of weeks is when I write food in my journal I indicate whether it was a good choice, poor choice or a choice that is OK in moderation or OK but could be better. Of course my goal is to always make good choices but I hope at least the good will out number the poor. I also go back and look at the poor choices and the OK choices and try and see if I can improve them.

:-) = good choice
- = OK in moderation or OK but could be better
:-( = poor choice


This is what I ate yesterday...

Breakfast:
1 egg with onion and broccoli scrambled in 1 tsp olive oil :-)
1 piece Ezekiel sprouted bread toasted :-)
1 tsp butter - (in moderation)
Green drink made with 2 cups kale, 1/2 cup pineapple and water :-)
Cranberry water - water, unsweetened cranberry juice, lemon juice and apple cider vinegar :-)

Lunch:
Salad made with 4 cups romaine and 1 cup cucumbers :-)
1/2 cup kidney beans :-)
honey mustard dressing :-(  (I need to find a better salad dressing-I'm going to try to make my own)

Afternoon snack:
banana and kiwi :-)

Dinner: Logan's Steakhouse
Salad :-) (they make the best salad!)
honey mustard dressing :-(
6 ounce steak - (This wasn't really a bad choice but I should have only eaten 3-4 ounces. I should have taken half of it home and had it for lunch the next day)
asparagus :-)
1 small piece of bread with butter - (This wasn't too bad-I only ate one small piece)
Peanut butter sundae :-(  (Ice cream seems to be my downfall:-( This wouldn't have been so bad except Sunday I had an hot fudge sundae - I need to really be careful and limit treats like this.)


9 good choices
3 OK choices in moderation
3 poor choices (includes the salad dressing which I'm working on today)

Exercise:

Cleaned house and vacuumed (yes, I consider that exercise:-)
Walked at the mall for about 40 minutes

Eat well and have a great day!

Patti

What I Ate today - September 11, 2013 - Trina

Breakfast
       8 oz Hot Lemon Water with 1 Tbsp Ground Flaxseed
       8 oz Dr. Berg's Cranberry Drink
       24 oz Tropical Sensation Smoothie (The Conscious Cleanse p. 225)
       14 Almonds

Lunch
       7 oz Salad (Baby Spring Mix, Carrots, Cucumbers, Purple Cabbage, Red Onions) with
       1/2 Chopped Apple
       2 Tbsp Raisins
       1 cup Mixed Beans (Chickpeas, Red and Black Beans)
       Homemade Avocado, Lemon & Ginger Dressing

I enjoyed everything about this salad except the beans so

I will try having a salad and then some homemade bean soup for my next lunch.

      1 cup Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Dinner
       Stewed Chicken with vegetables (onions, celery, carrots and red cabbage)
       (2 drumsticks without skin)
       Rice
       French style green beans

Dessert
      Homemade oatmeal cookies

MY PLAN - SEPTEMBER 9 - Trina

My Menu 

  September 9-18, 2013

Drinks:

Water
Lemon Water
Warm Lemon Water with 1 Tbsp. Ground Flaxseed
Cranberry Water
Herb Tea
Dr. Berg's Cranberry Drink

Smoothies:

   - My Broccoli,Pineapple, Apple & Banana Smoothie
   - My Spring Mix, Cantaloupe, Pineapple Smoothie
   - The Conscious Cleanse Apple Salad Smoothie p. 220 
   - The Conscious Cleanse Morning Glory Smoothie p. 223
   -   "        "              "          Blueberry Blast Smoothie p. 220
   -   "        "              "          Tropical Sensation Smoothie p. 225

Fruits:

Apples, Pears, Bananas, Blueberries, Raspberries, Plums,Cantaloupe, Pineapple, Lemons and Limes

Salads:

   - Oh She Glows Go-to Kale Salad
   - Oh She Glows Thai-Inspired Hydrating Cucumber Salad with Roasted Spiced Chickpeas
   - Oh She Glows Fall Detox Salad

Cooked Vegetables & Legumes:

   - Collard Greens, Broccoli, Green Beans, Red Beans, Black Beans, Blackeye Peas, Chickpeas, Lentils (Brown)

Meat

   - Fish, Chicken & Turkey

Other:

   - Vegetable Fried Rice
   - Black Beans & Rice
   - Black Bean Soup
   - Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Exercise

   *Walk 60 minutes (3 times a week)

   *Zumba Class (60 minutes 1- 2 times a week)

   *Strength Training 10 minutes (2 times a week)

A Recipe for Nancy and Mary - Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

Just for you guys...

One of the things I'm trying to do on this healthy habits journey is to add new things to my diet. This recipes includes both a new grain and a new oil that I've never used before.

It's actually pretty tasty so I hope you'll give it a try!

A few facts about quinoa:

• pronounced - Keen-Wa
• a complete protein - contains all 9 essential amino acids 
• contains iron, lysine and magnesium 
• high in fiber

What you need:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken or veggie stock or water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 red pepper,chopped
1-2 chopped garlic cloves
1 - 15 ounce can of black beans rinsed and drained
Juice from one lime (about 2 Tablespoons)
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
hot pepper flakes - depending on how hot you like it


Place the quinoa in a colander or sieve and rinse under running water. The water will look almost soapy be sure to rinse until the water runs clean.
Place the quinoa, salt and the liquid in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and allow to cook about 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender.

Put the veggies, garlic and black beans in a bowl and add the sesame oil and the lime juice. Toss and allow to marinate while the quinoa is cooking.

Sesame seeds and oil are high in many vitamins and minerals such as calcium.
Good for your heart and bones. 

For more intense lime flavor you can grate some of the rind as well.



Once the quinoa is finished allow to cool slightly then add to the veggies and black beans. Toss together.

Add a few flakes of hot peppers. Taste and adjust to your liking. Some like it hot so you may want to add more or just serve extra hot pepper flakes at the table.

Let the mixture marinate for at least 2 hours to blend the flavors.

Serve on a bed of lettuce like a salad or you can serve this with nacho chips as a dip.
This is even good when used as a filling in a wrap.


Nancy and Mary...I hope you'll give quinoa one more try!

Eat Well and Try Something New Today!

Patti

A Big Salad and a Green Drink by Patti

First let me say that it has taken me quite a while to actually drink a green drink. Something about ground up greens and that bright green color left me a feeling a little queasy...

But after much research and a desire to add more veggies to my diet I decided to just go for it. Kind of treat it like a medicine. Just get it down.

I experimented with a few recipes and finally hit on one that I actually like. As long as I follow a few basic rules.

1. It has to be super cold.
2. I have to drink it with a straw. (Can't really stand that fresh mowed grass smell. Actually I like the fresh mowed grass smell just not in something I'm going to ingest.)
3. It has to be made with pineapple and definitely not cherries. (Cherries change the bright green color to something far worse.)

Place 4 cups of washed kale greens in a blender, add 1 cup of juice or water and 1 cup fresh or
canned (in juice) pineapple. Hit the grate button and finish by blending till you have the
desired consistency. Store in the fridge. 

I enjoy this green drink with breakfast and lunch. It helps to curb my appetite and it provides one serving of fruit and two servings of veggies.

My typical lunch...a big salad and a green drink...

4 cups of romaine, 1 cup of cucumbers, some grated carrot and chopped onions
and pepper. For protein I added 1 cup of kidney beans.
The dressing just a little honey and mustard mixed with a spoonful of the green drink. 

I'm pleasantly surprised that something I once thought of as pretty gross has grown into a drink that I find very refreshing and filling. Will wonders never cease?:-)

Eat well and enjoy a little green today!

Patti

What I Ate Yesterday - Patti

This is what I ate yesterday...

Breakfast:
Coffee - no cream or sugar
Omelet made with 1 egg, 1 cup sliced zucchini and 1/2 cup chopped onions and peppers. Cooked in olive oil and topped with 2 Tablespoons grated cheese.
1 slice sprouted Ezekiel bread with a little butter.
Green drink.

Mid morning snack:
1 cup of unsweetened Almond milk blended with 1 banana and 1 Tablespoon ground flax seed.

Lunch:
Salad made with 4 cups romaine, 1 cup cucumbers, grated carrots and beets and 1 cup kidney beans. Topped with 2 Tablespoons of 1 point dressing. (Braswell's Summer Tomato and Vadialia Onion)
Green drink.
Grapes
Cherries

Snack:
By 3:30 I was hungry so I ate 4 saltine crackers with 1 Tablespoon peanut butter and I finished off the green drink.


Dinner: 
1 cup whole wheat spaghetti noodles with marinara sauce.
Green beans
Small salad
1 piece of garlic bread with mozzarella cheese.

Snack:
After our evening walk I had a small vanilla cone from Dairy Queen.



I pretty much stayed within my eating plan.

Today (Thursday) is my official weigh in day. Since last Thursday I've lost 2.2 pounds. Yippee!!!

Eat Well and Enjoy the Day!!!

Patti

Patti's Plan to Get and Stay Healthy - What I Eat

Since embarking on this get healthy and stay healthy journey I've read dozens of diet and exercise books, countless blogs and viewed more Youtube videos than I can count. 

The one thing I've learned is that everyone has their own idea of what works in the weight loss arena. 

After muddling through all the information and misinformation available this is what I've come up with as a good eating plan for me. (It's working so far. I've been following this basic plan for about 3 weeks and I've lost about 3 pounds.)

Disclaimer- I came up with the eating plan for me and my personal use. I'm not a doctor or nutritionist. I think it's a good plan but I'm not sure that it meets all the requirements. Don't blindly follow any plan. Do research and decide what works best for you.

While firming up my plan there were a few things I incorporated:

• Uncomplicated. I don't mind counting points (Weight Watcher's Points Plus) because I'm used to that but I don't want to spend a great deal of time looking up food for calories and nutrients. 
• Use readily available foods. I'd like to use local grown, organic foods but it isn't always available or cost effective. 
• Provide the vitamins and nutrients I need to maintain strong healthy bones.
• Include all food groups and not exclude any one completely. 
• Include foods I like to eat. This includes an occasional ice cream sundae or chicken pot pie. 
• Allow me to eat the same foods I feed my family. 

My way of eating is a combination of information from several sources including: 

• Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman
• The 7 Principles of Fat Burning by Eric Berg
• The Whole Food Guide to Strong Bones by Annemarie Colbin
• Weight Watchers (although I'm no longer a member of WW I do think it's a pretty good program and I still count points most days and follow some but not all of the WW guidelines)

My Plan- include each day:

Cranberry water - 3 times per day 

• I've found several variations of this recipe but I like the one from "The 7 Principles of Fat Burning" by Eric Berg. Go HERE to see a video about this drink. 

Protein - 2 servings-examples of a serving:

• 1 egg
• 3-4 ounces of lean meat, poultry or fish
• 1-2 cups legumes

Whole Grains and Starches - 2 servings - for example

• 1 cup cooked oatmeal
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1 cup whole wheat pasta
• 1 cup cooked quinoa 
• 1 slice of Ezekiel bread
• 1 Shredded Wheat Biscuit (the big kind)
• 1 Medium baked potato or sweet potato 
• or a combination to equal 2 servings - 1/2 oatmeal for breakfast + 1/2 brown rice for dinner = 1 serving

Fruit - at least 3 - 4 servings a day 

• Limit banana to one per day
• Small amounts of dried fruit such as dates or raisins may be used as a sweetener in oatmeal or in salad dressing. 
• Kale and Pineapple drink (recipe below) counts as 1 fruit and 2 veggie servings
• Can use a small amount (no more than 1 cup per day) of unsweetened fruit juice in salad dressing or smoothies

Vegetables - unlimited (I avoid corn) but at least two veggies for every fruit I eat

• Eat at least two veggies for every one fruit consumed. 
• Eat at least 4 cups of raw greens per day (counts as 2 servings)
• Drink Kale and Pineapple drink(recipe below) 3 times per day (counts as 2 veggie and 1 fruit)

Legumes 

• Use 1/2 - 1 cup of beans on my salad (in addition to the beans consumed as a protein serving)

Nuts and Seeds -about 1 ounce

• Should be raw
• Sunflower seeds and almonds are my favorite

Healthy Oil - 1 - 2 Tablespoons per day used in cooking or salad dressing

• Coconut oil (yummy on sweet potatoes)
• Olive Oil 
• Sesame Oil 

Dairy - limited to very small amounts - for example

• 1or 2 tablespoons of shredded cheddar cheese 
• 1/4 cup milk on cereal (not everyday)
• A little bit of butter (1- 2 teaspoon)
• 1 Tablespoon sour cream 
• Plain yogurt
• Low fat cottage cheese 

Calcium source will be mainly from food other than dairy.** For example:

• Unsweetened Almond milk 
• Green veggies such as broccoli, kale and spinach
• Whole grains 

**The book listed above by AnneMarie Colbin is an excellent source.

So that's my plan. 

I may not follow it to the letter everyday but I'm trying and something is better than nothing!  

Eat well and enjoy your day!

Patti

*Kale and Pineapple Drink 

(adapted from various sources)

Makes about 3 one cup servings
4 cups kale
1 cup pineapple - if canned use the no sugar added type
1 cup 100% pineapple juice-no sugar (can use water instead of juice)

Place all ingredients in a blender and liquefy or grind.
Drink will be very thick. Can be thinned with additional liquid if desired. 
Store in the fridge in a glass jar. 
Divide and drink with breakfast and lunch and before dinner.
Consuming the whole recipe is equal to 1 serving of fruit and two servings of veggies. 

The Conscious Cleanse - "What I'm eating." by Trina

Tonight will end day five of "The Conscious Cleanse" and below is a list of the foods I've been eating over the past five days.
Fruits:  blueberries, watermelon, peaches, bananas, mini plums, pineapple, unsweetened dried coconut and lemon juice
Vegetables:  Romaine lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, mushrooms, onions, celery, kale, green beans, jicama and cabbage
Fresh herbs:  Ginger, cilantro, Italian parsley, and garlic
Protein:  Black beans, organic chicken breast and wild caught fish

So far the cleanse is going well, but it would be better if I were a little more organized.
One thing I'm really pleased about is how my cravings for certain foods have almost completely disappeared. Sometimes I think about a specific food, but my desire to have it is minimal. For example my daughter makes a very good semi-homemade chicken potpie and I usually just have to eat some. In fact she made it for dinner tonight, but I had brown rice cooked in mushroom and onion broth with kale instead. I've also been able to cut back on the amount of meat I eat which is a big deal for me because I am definitely a meat lover.

Kale, purple cabbage, broccoli and organic chicken breast

Romaine Salad with jicama and lemon, ginger, cilantro dressing. Looks a little messy as I had already began eating then remembered that I wanted to take a picture.

Romaine, carrots, pineapple and blueberries with a pineapple dressing. To make the dressing I put 1/2 cup of pineapple with juice, a small chunk of avocado, sea salt, black pepper and a little water in a blender.

Chicken Vegetable Soup - Organic chicken breast, onions, green beans, carrots and parsley. I marinated the chicken breast overnight with minced ginger, garlic and 1 tsp EVOO. I also added a little sea salt and black pepper.

New find:  I've been wanting to try coconut milk. I found this at Winn Dixie. It was $2.99 and has only 1g of sugar compare to 5g in Silk Original Coconut milk. Once I try it I'll post what I think.

Dinner tonight - Brown rice cooked in mushroom and onion broth with some kale on the side. I made the mushroom and onion broth to eat as a soup, but decided it would really be good as a base for brown rice. It was really good!